Updated ranking of players competing for the Ballon d'Or announced — media

**Media: Ballon d'Or contenders updated**

The Independent has named the five main candidates for the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

According to them, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Rodri is the leading contender for the award. Despite missing most of last season, Rodri won the 2026 World Cup with Spain and was named the tournament's best player.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane came in second. He scored 73 goals and provided eight assists in 61 appearances in all competitions last season. As a result, Kane won the Golden Boot as Europe's top scorer.

The top three is occupied by the talented 19-year-old player of the "Barcelona" and the Spanish national team, Lamine Yamal.

The fourth place is occupied by the captain of the "Real" club and the French national team, Kylian Mbappe, while the top five is completed by the striker of "Inter Miami" and the captain of the Argentine national team, Lionel Messi.

According to the Independent, the top five are as follows:

* Rodri ("Barcelona");

* Harry Kane ("Bayern");

* Lamine Yamal ("Barcelona");

* Kilian Mbappe ("Real Madrid");

* Lionel Messi ("Inter Miami").

For information, the historic award ceremony of the "Golden Ball" will be held on October 26 in London. UEFA and France Football have decided to hold the gala evening outside of Paris for the first time in the 70-year history of the award. This is a tribute to the legendary Englishman Sir Stanley Matthews, who became the first winner of the Ballon d'Or in 1956.

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi has become one of the main contenders for the award even at the age of 39. He scored 8 goals at the World Cup, helping Argentina reach the final, and briefly became the top scorer in the history of the competition. However, this record was later broken by Kylian Mbappe.

The award will be awarded only based on the results of the 2025/26 football season. The current winner of the Ballon d'Or is PSG winger Ousmane Dembele.